


You and Your Beautiful Soul

by aurons_fan



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Popstar, Axel/Roxas Day, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 13:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4566837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurons_fan/pseuds/aurons_fan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kairi drags Axel to see Roxas, the biggest pop star <i>ever</i>, he gets to see up close that being a celebrity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.</p><p>Or:</p><p>Maybe Roxas doesn't want another pretty face. Maybe he doesn't want just anyone to hold. Maybe he doesn't want his love to go to waste. Maybe he just wants you and your beautiful soul.</p><p>(A KH Popstar AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	You and Your Beautiful Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 8/13! So this fic was like, seven months in the making. And by making, I mean I had it all plotted out and then never wrote it. I was joking around thinking about Jesse McCartney being Roxas’s VA (which has made me cackle since it was announced almost a decade ago. Ho boy), and the idea of Roxas (especially KH2!Roxas) being a pop star.
> 
> And this idea didn’t start anywhere near as to where it is now. It was much shorter. And goofier. 
> 
> But I’m really glad to have to chance to write and post this. Last year, my 8/13 fic was the first thing I’d written for fandom in… years and it got me back into writing. :)
> 
> But enough of me rambling. 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to open and read this, and I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (PS if you see any glaring formatting errors, I am so sorry. This thing has been edited across like six different platforms so… yeah)

It wasn’t like Axel was weak when Kairi gave him puppy dog eyes. On the contrary, he was pretty good as ignoring her inane requests like “Come hang out at the mall with me,” or “Riku, Sora and I are planning on building a raft to see outside worlds and we’ll probably die a horrible death on the open ocean. JOIN US.”

Maybe she hadn’t phrased it as such, but either way, Axel had perfected the art of raising his eyebrow and turning away from his sister, ignoring her when she pleaded for him to tag along. He was only home for the summer from college. He really didn’t feel like dealing with her and her friends even if they were only a few years younger than him.

But when she pulled out a picture on her phone of him doing some questionable things and promised that their mother would see it, he froze.

“Where did you get that,” he said.

She shrugged, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. The perfect picture of innocence. But Axel knew better. He knew she could be pure evil if motivated by the right means. “If you drive me and my friends,” she said with a smile. “This photo will be deleted.”

He stared long and hard at her.

She stared back.

A long moment later, he let out a sigh and pushed his way off the couch, turning the television off. “Fine,” he grumbled, ignored the way she smirked in victory. “Fine, fine, fine. I’ll drive you. Where are you going?”

Her smirk only grew. “Well,” she said slowly. Axel could feel dread setting in. "Roxas is going to be in Twilight Town and I happen to have tickets to his concert. And before you start groaning,” she said, as he opened his mouth. “They’re front row seats.”

Axel’s groaned and dropped his head in his hands. 

Kairi grinned. “Now you may complain.”

\--

Roxas (as he was known because last names weren’t needed for  _him_ ) was a mega famous singer.

He first came into the tabloids when some other, clearly not as good singer, Jessie McCartney, tried suing him for use of his songs, but that lawsuit disappeared almost as soon as it came to light.

As did Jesse. 

Sometimes people wondered what happened to him. 

Known for his funky pop songs and his soft ballads, Roxas's most popular song, _Beautiful Soul,_ was what brought people young and old to his concerts.

According to all the news sites, Roxas was fun, fresh, energetic, and, over all, a cool outgoing guy. Everyone wanted to see him perform, because it was rumored that his concerts were things of legend.

Axel could hardly wait.

(Just kidding.)

\--

But for all of his grumbling, the concert really wasn’t that bad. Kairi and part of her little gang of friends had all piled into his car, way too excited to watch some blond kid lip sync into a microphone. But Riku and Sora were harmless, and Olette and Pence even less so.

Axel was never sure about that Hayner kid, especially since he always sat/stood/existed a  _little_  too close to his sister, but that was neither here nor there.

Either way, the opening act, a trio called “The Sandlot Gang,” (led by a Seifer, as if anyone actually cared) was far too loud but at least within the realm of being interesting, and he might have even bopped his head to the beat. Once. And only once.

After the opening act packed waved energetically and disappeared, Axel let out a sigh and sat back down. It was exhausting, pretending to be so excited about a concert he really didn’t care about. But Kairi was clearly happy (and Hayner was leaning waaaaaaay too close to his sister… Axel might need to have some words with him later), Riku and Sora were chatting animatedly, and even Pence had put away his phone to cheer along.

Bah. Axel was about to lean over and let Kairi know he needed some overpriced food, but then the lights dimmed and instead of words, he got an earful of screams from every direction.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?!" a voice yelled over the sound speakers, and the stadium erupted. Axel didn’t want to sound like an old man, but holy hell, he needed to cover his ears.

Then, suddenly, there was a single spotlight on the stage, and a guy in his early twenties with blond spiky hair grinned and waved, and the stadium started screaming again. 

There was this loud guitar riff and the screams seemed to grow louder as Roxas, in all his glory, lowered his head in what was apparently his trademarked embarrassed grin, before gripping the mic and bursting into song.

And… between all the screaming fans were and the noise level, even Axel had to admit, that Roxas kid could put on a performance. Between knowing when to talk to his fans between songs, thanking them profusely for being there, and his overall stage performance…

Yeah, Axel could see why Roxas was famous.

Axel grinned, despite himself, and even let himself be elbowed by Kairi. He shook his head and shrugged, letting her know wordlessly that he wasn’t completely upset that he’d be forced along.

He turned back to the stage, bobbing his head along to the beat, when he realized that Roxas has paused, ever so slightly, in his dance. He might have been facing in the direction Axel and the rest of them were standing in.

But hey, he was famous. If Axel wanted to pretend like, even for a moment, some pop star wanted to stare at him, he could do so. 

Not like anything would come from it.

\--

Axel only had to play chauffer one way, considering the two teens he’d driven, Riku, and Sora, were staying in the Twilight Town for the night (doing god knows what), and Olette, Pence, and Hayner lived in the general vicinity. So luckily for his eardrums, he only had to listen to Kairi recall the concert he’d literally just sat through.

The entire way home.

“I can’t believe he sang _Beautiful Soul_  twice!” she shrieked, laughing a little. 

Axel sighed, turning onto the highway. They had had this conversation at least three times so far, with her getting more excited each time. “Yeah,” he said, finally knowing what to say. “As if we needed to hear it that much.”

He didn’t have to turn to see her scowl, but her punch made how she felt very clear.

“Don’t be rude,” she said. “He sounded so much better than that Jessie McCartney guy singing it.”

“I wonder if Roxas even likes that song,” Axel muttered to himself, pulling into their driveway and yanking up the hand break. “I’d hope so, after having to sing it so much.”

“It’s not that bad.”

Both Kairi and Axel froze, before turning around to see a young man, hair blond and sharped _way_ too similar to Roxas’s hair, albeit a little more smooshed, sit up in the backseat. The young man (who obviously couldn’t have been Roxas, because haha, that would imply that Axel had accidentally  _kidnapped_  him) yawned, stretching his arms over his head.

“But,” the young man added, like the two people in the car weren’t still staring at him in shock. “It does get tiring after a while. I like my other songs but it seems like everyone only wants to hear that one.”

Kairi managed to find her voice and squeaked out, “Roxas?”

He waved a hand and leaned against the car door again, apparently exhausted.

Kairi turned to Axel, eyes wide with excitement, and Axel shook his head. Now was not the time for excitement. That would come later. Maybe. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "And how did you get in my car?"

Roxas raised an eyebrow, and it was apparent that all that shy, awkward, cutesy façade from the stage completely gone. "Just because I'm a cute pop star means I can't pick locks?"

"But..." Axel shot back, narrowing his eyes. "Why my car?"

Roxas shrugged. "Yours looks like shit. No one would suspect me being in such an awful looking car if I went missing."

Axel blinked, at a loss for words and turned to Kairi, who finally looked more annoyed than excited. Took her long enough. “Did you want us to get arrested for kidnapping you?!” She exclaimed, eyes wide. 

Roxas eyes widened as he jumped up. “No! No, sorry. I just ...really don’t want to deal with my manager right now. And I thought this might be the best course of action.”

Axel resisted the urge to slam his head against the steering wheel. “And when they track you by using your phone?”

Axel was beginning to miss that shy, energetic Roxas from the stage, because this little shit just smirked and held out his hands which Axel noted were very empty. “What phone?”

They stared at each other, long and hard, and Axel shrugged, moving to turn on his car again.

Kairi shot him a worried look and he shook his head. “Nope, I am not dealing with some pop star having an identity crisis. I was all okay taking you to and from this concert, not accidentally bringing home the singer.”

“Well,” Roxas’s voice drifted from the back seat. “I mean, sure, you could drop me off back off at the concert arena. And I might just  _happen_  to imply you kidnapped me.”

Axel gritted his teeth and turned to his sister. She looked torn between being star stricken and wanting to rip Roxas’s face off.

He had to hand it to his sister. She didn’t put up with threats idly.

Another tense moment passed in the car, and Axel huffed, tugging the key from the ignition and climbing out. “Fine,” he said. “You can stay. One night. Then you’re leaving to have your damn crisis somewhere else.”

Roxas climbed out of the car as well, his outfit nowhere near as glamorous as anything he’d been wearing on the stage. He had on a pair of oversized sweatpants and a baggy, t-shirt that was riddled with small holes. No wonder the kid had been able to bypass security in that outfit. Axel wouldn’t have paid him any attention.

“One night?” Roxas said, looking at the both of them. Kairi cross her arms.

“Yeah. And no funny business.” She huffed, before digging into her purse and pulling out her phone. “And when we get inside, we will write out the terms and conditions. Like how many selfies I can get with you before you leave.” 

Axel resisted the urge to groan.

\--

A few hours later found the three of them sitting in the living room, staring at one another. Or, to be fair. Roxas was staring at the ground, Kairi was staring at Roxas, and Axel was staring at his phone, playing a game.

He’d already been kind enough to let the kid borrow a sweatshirt, but he wasn’t a saint.

 “So let me get this straight,” Kairi said, for what had to be the tenth time. Axel resisted the urge to grit his teeth and stayed focused on his phone. “Your management company, the…”

“Organization,” Roxas said.

Kairi nodded. “Right, the Organization, has locked you into a contract, and when you tried to argue the conditions of it, it somehow got even stricter?” Roxas nodded, and Kairi sat back on the couch, letting out a sigh. “That’s awful… I mean, did you try talking to the head of the Organization?”

Roxas snorted loud enough that Axel looked up from his phone. “Yeah. And apparently my manager and the head of the Organization had been in contact. After they talked, the conditions got even worse.”

“Have you tried _not_ going the pop star route?” Axel said. He thumbed off his phone, leaning forward to rest his elbows onto his knees. “I mean, write your own stuff, force your way out, break into the indie market? 

From the way Roxas started to fidget, Axel knew he’d hit a nerve. “I tried that. I mean, most of the songs I sing I did wrote…”

“Wait,” Kairi said. “What about that Jesse McCartney fellow?”

Roxas's eyes flashed and Axel would swear the temperature dropped a few degrees. “We do not speak his name,” Roxas hissed 

There was a long pause.

“Anyway,” Roxas continued, as if he hadn’t just snapped. “It’s not like I can just break from my contract so easily. And they’ve been trying to control every aspect of my life. If I’m not writing, I’m practicing dance move, or at the gym.” He frowned. “I haven’t seen people my age in forever.”

“Oh boo hoo,” Axel said, shaking his head. Roxas snapped his head up. Axel shrugged, climbing to his feet. “You’re rich. You perform to sold-out arenas to screaming fans almost every night. Don’t act like your life is so sad because you didn’t read the fine print.”

He barely heard Kairi admonish him before Roxas was suddenly up in his face, too close for comfort. “You think I’m joking?” Roxas said, eyes wide. Axel leaned back a bit but Roxas followed. “Ever wonder what happened to another singer that worked with the Organization and tried to break free? Ever heard of Xion?”

He hadn’t, but even if he had, Axel was still unable to move, considering Roxas had somehow gotten even closer. Although the presence he had now was totally different to seeing him on the stage, he was still commanding enough, and Axel couldn’t look away.

There was a soft cough and they both moved back, as Kairi held up her phone. “Xion,” she read, glancing back down to skim the article. “She was popular for a year or so and then she just disappeared off the map.”

“Yeah,” Roxas said, stepping away from Axel. Axel let out a breath. “That’s because the Organization  _dealt_  with her.”

Axel crossed his arms. “Are you asking us to stand up to this group who can make people disappear? Cause, no offense buddy, but we just met. Good concert or not, I don’t want to possibly  _die_ for you.”

Roxas slumped, stuffing his hands into the sweatshirt pockets. “No, just… a day away from them should be fine.”

Kairi looked between the two and sighed. “Either way, it’s late. Roxas, you can have Axel’s room.”

Both of them gave her a look.

“The hell? Why can’t he sleep in your room?” Axel said, before pausing. “No, strike that. That will never happen. But why can’t he sleep on the couch?”

Kairi rolled her eyes. “He’s an international pop star, idiot. He needs his beauty sleep.”

And before either of them could argue, she grabbed Roxas’s arm and dragged him up the stairs.

Axel let out a string of expletives and started setting up the couch.

After the pull-out bed was, well, pulled out,  and set up for someone of a normal human size to sleep on (which just meant Axel was shit out of luck, being so damn tall and all), and he chucked some pillows onto the couch, Kairi reappeared, frowning slightly. 

“You know,” Axel said, dropping a blanket onto the bed. “I think this is a little more than driving you to a concert. That picture of me better have been deleted.”

“Oh,” she said with a shrug. “I uploaded it online after the concert.” Axel’s eyes narrowed and she held up her hands. “Kidding. Relax.” She shoved her hands into her pockets and sat on the edge of the couch, giving him a look. “Do you think we can trust him?”

“You ask this  _after_  you leave him alone in my room?” he asked, rolling his eyes. “I mean, it sucks if his contract is really that terrible, but there’s nothing we can really do about it. Maybe letting him crash for a night might help him think clearly?”

She frowned and Axel plopped onto the bed, sitting cross legged. “I dunno,” she said softly. “He’s always seem like this super cool guy in interviews and Hayner always talked about how it must be so nice to be him, but listening to Roxas talk is just kind of sad. It’s like he hasn’t had a normal life in years.”

“Yeah…” Axel said, a small bit of nervousness creeping in the back of his mind. “That is terrible. And maybe when he’s back where he should be, he might be able to argue his contract better.”

“But…” Kairi said, and Axel’s stomach dropped. She was sticking out her lower lip, and her eyes were wide and  _augh dammit,_ Axel was going to get dragged into this bullshit, wasn’t he? “But, wouldn’t it be nice if he could hang out with some normal people for one day?”

“He is an international pop star,” Axel reminded her. “He would be mobbed as soon as he stepped foot outside.” But her lower lip started quivering and he threw his hands in the air. “Fine, look. We’ll talk about it in the morning. But if there’s a countrywide manhunt out for him, no, we will not play 'frolic with the pop star.’"

Kairi grinned, all traces of sadness gone and Axel grumbled to himself. “Awesome,” she said, hopping off the couch and giving him a quick hug. He shoved her off. Gently, but still. “Night!”

He watched her run upstairs, and half wondered if he should be more concerned with Roxas staying alone up there with his sister.

After a moment, he shrugged, turned off the light, and crawled under the covers.

Before he passed out, a thought crossed his mind: exactly how much time _did_ Kairi spend with Hayner..?

\--

The first thing Axel registered when he realized he was awake was that this lumpy pull out bed was so much more comfortable than he remembered. A lot warmer too.

And then he realized that the faint noise he’d heard in his dreams hadn’t been a dream, but his phone’s ringtone going off.

And then when an arm that  _wasn’t his_  appeared from under the blankets and fumbled for the phone, he resisted the urge to shriek but still kicked out, quickly moving away from what could've been a disembodied arm and fell off the couch.

There was a grunt from above and Sora’s voice, tinny from the phone, asking “Axel? Are you alive?”

Axel rubbed at his face, and leaned up onto the bed at Roxas’s eyes closed from sleep or pain, holding his leg tenderly. Oh. That would be pain then.

“What the hell, Axel?” Roxas hissed. “Why did you kick me?”

“Why are you in my bed?” Axel shot back, before pausing. “Wait, why aren’t you in my bed? I didn’t sleep down here on this shitty thing for my comfortable mattress to go unused!”

“Axel,” Sora shouted on the phone, and Axel shook his head, climbing to his feet and stanching the phone from Roxas’s hand. “Who are you talking to?”

He walked towards the kitchen, leaving the fuming pop star behind. “No one. Why are you calling me so early?"

Axel ran a hand through his hair as he walked towards the kitchen, mind barely registering what Sora was even saying "Kairi said that I needed to stop by your house with some clothes like ASAP for a secret project and Riku was super confused. But I think I might get it considering the voice that I heard on the other side of the call sounded way too much like the guy we saw in concert last night AXEL DID YOU KIDNAP ROXAS??"

"What?" Axel mumbled, tugging open the fridge door. "No, I didn't kidnap Roxas, what are you talking about? Breathe, Sora. Deep breaths. In and out. 

Aforementioned Roxas walked behind him and peered into the fridge door. "Oops," he said, giving Axel a shrug before reaching into the refrigerator. 

"Yeah, okay no," Axel said, kicking the door shut and ignoring Roxas yelping. "I said you could stay the night, not eat my food, you mooching leech."

"I don't have my wallet!" Roxas shouted and Axel could hear twin inhales of breath over the phone. 

"Axel, is Roxas at your house?" Riku asked quietly. Sora yelped out a hoot of something similar to joy. 

"How about," Axel said, shooing a scowling Roxas away from him. "You and Sora bring the clothes like Kairi asked-"

"Demanded," Riku corrected, and Axel snorted. 

"I mean, you know my sister as well as I do. But bring the clothes and then maybe I'll explain." He paused. "Also, the hell are you and Sora doing together this early in the morning?"

There was a long, long pause. 

"Sleepover," Riku said tersely. Axel snorted. Sleepover. _Sure_. "We'll be there in a few hours."

Axel didn't even get a chance to laugh before the line was abruptly cut. He shook his head and glanced down at the scowling blond, raising an eyebrow. 

"You're a different story," Axel said, placing his phone onto the table. "The hell were you doing in my bed."

At least Roxas had the good graces to look slightly embarrassed, though he had to work on it. "I... I get cold at night" Roxas said, scowling. "And your room is fucking freezing." 

"So what, you saw me in the couch and thought that, what? You'd snuggle in?" Axel didn't even wait for an answer, and simply climbed back into the makeshift couch bed. "Whatever."

Roxas gave him a long stare. "You're not mad?" He asked, voice much softer than Axel had ever heard him speak. It was a little unnerving. 

"To be kicked out my bed only to be forced to still share a bed with some whiny pop star that is trying to eat my food?" Axel responded, relishing in the way Roxas eyes flashed dangerously. "Of course not." 

He turned over, closing his eyes, and half hoped the little shit wouldn't like set his hair on fire or break his phone. But as he drifted off to sleep, he vaguely felt someone crawl under the covers with him. 

\-- 

Axel felt someone shaking him a few hours later, and when he absentmindedly swatted at them, he got punched for his troubles. 

"Get up," Kairi said, moving away from the couch. "Sora and Riku are almost here." She paused. "Do I even want to know about...?" She waved in the direct of the bed, and Axel glances down to see Roxas cuddled up to his side, breathing deeply.  

Axel shrugged. "Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a kid. I don't know." Then he realizes the look on Kairi's face wasn't confusion, it was jealously, and Axel rolled his eyes. "Jesus, Kai. Ask the kid when he wakes up if you can have a hug or something." 

“Oh hush,” she said, moving to sit on the side of the pull out bed. Axel made to sit up and realized he had to shrug a clingy pop star who suddenly grew even clingier as he tried to move. He ignored when she let out a soft laugh. “Most people would be jealous to be you.” 

“Bully for them,” he said, not so gently shoving Roxas off of him. Roxas awoke with a squawk and Axel smirked. “Wake up sleeping beauty. Apparently your disguise is here.” 

As if on cue, Sora and Riku burst into the living room. Sora’s eyes were wide with excitement and Riku’s with confusion. 

Axel’s expression mimicked that confusion. “Wait, how did you guys get into our house?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“There’s no time for that!” Sora said, shaking a hand as he approached the couch. Axel quickly maneuvered out of the way as Sora practically climbed onto where Axel had been sitting, eyes still wide. Roxas, apparently still getting used to this thing called ‘waking up,’ blinked owlishly as Sora leaned in and tilted his head “You’re right Riku. He does kind of look like me up close.”

Riku rolled his eyes and tugged Sora back. “Yes he does. Let the poor guy wake up. 

Roxas blinked again. Sora grabbed a hat from his bag and shoved it onto Roxas’s head and grinned. “Perfect,” Sora said. “We can be cousins. 

Axel wasn’t even going to respond to that, and started moving towards the kitchen to grab something to eat. He could faintly hear Sora talking animatedly about what they were going to do today (no but really, how  _did_  Sora and Riku get into their house?), and he yawned, stretched and opened the fridge, looking for something to eat.

He shut the door and gave what he could call a manly shout (or what Kairi would call, a scream) when he saw Roxas standing behnd the door, staring curiously at him. “Are you coming?”

“What?” Axel said, holding the water bottle to his chest as if it might protect him from suddenly appearing pop stars. Or kids who broke into his house with magical unlocking powers. Either or. 

Roxas shrugged, shoving his hands into the sweatshirt’s pockets and looking down. Huh. From this angle, he did kind of look like Sora. “To the beach with us.”

It had gotten suspiciously quiet in their living room. Axel narrowed his eyes and looked back down to the blond, who glanced back up at him. Just like that, all the innocence from thirty seconds ago was gone, and Axel could see him smirking underneath that hat 

He and Sora might look kind of similar, but Axel had never seen such an evil look on Sora’s face. Axel narrowed his eyes. 

“He said he wouldn’t go to the beach without you,” Kairi called from the living room, and Axel groaned, almost beaning himself upside the head with the water bottle. “Something, something, needs someone older to look out for him to make sure paparazzi aren’t staking his every move.”

Axel groaned and continued covering his face. He didn’t have to look up to hear the other three sneaking into the kitchen, pleading looks on their faces. Well. Pleading looks on most of their faces. Kairi was giving him a knowing look about something he probably had done, and if he asked about it, would definitely regret it.

“Seriously?” He asked, but even he knew he sounded weak, because Sora let out a whoop. He removed his palm from his face and looked down to Roxas, who was shrugging. Axel lowered his voice as he moved to walk past Roxas. “What the hell is your problem with me?” 

He didn’t give Roxas any time to answer that as he headed upstairs to change. Even so, he could practically feel Roxas staring at him as he walked up every single step.

\-- 

Kairi’s plan of putting Roxas and Sora together was apparently brilliant because no one paid them any attention. Roxas kept his head down and Sora grinned, talking about how his cousin had come to visit. Even though Destiny Islands was a small, well, _island_ , Sora was bright and sunny enough that no one would  _ever_  think he would lie about something like that.

But for all the effort Kairi and Sora tried to extend towards Roxas to actually go out and enjoy himself, the kid seemed almost uncomfortable with his new found freedom. He’d take a few steps forward, almost like he wanted to go join them in the ocean water, and a light breeze would flow by, moving his hat an  _inch_ , and he would freeze, before turning back and joining Axel on the blanket.

Axel was not amused by this. “You mean I got dragged out to watch my sister and her friends at the beach, and the reason for us even coming isn’t even going to go have fun?” He ignored Roxas’s scowl and shook his head. “Those Organization guys really got you spooked, huh? 

Roxas froze again, griping his hand tightly. “I’m  _fine_ ,” he said tersely, turning back to the water. “Maybe I’m allergic or something.”

“Or something,” Axel echoed, yawning and leaning back on his hands. “Look, don’t you want to frolic with your loyal fans and leave me to sleep.” Roxas fidgeted and Axel rolled his eyes. “What is up with you? 

Roxas went tense. “What are you talking about?” 

“You and your…” Axel waved a hand. “You keep this personality up around those three but around me, you look ready to slit my throat. Or cry.” Axel paused. “Honestly, with you, they’re kind of similar.”

“Fuck off,” Roxas said, before pausing and looking around quickly. Axel snorted.

“Organization spies again?” He asked. Roxas punched him in the shoulder. Axel laughed it off like it didn’t hurt (which took effort, cause  _ow_ ).  

“Look, it’s just…” Roxas scowled. “No one cares about me.” Axel opened his mouth and Roxas covered Axel’s mouth with his hand. “Not pop star me, I know people care about that. I have millions of fans.”

“Oh boo hoo,” Axel mumbled behind Roxas’s hand 

Roxas let out something between a hiss and a groan and removed his hand, reaching back to grab something from his pocket. He paused, as if realizing part of his plan was to leave his phone behind and then turned to Axel. “Can I see your phone?” 

He didn’t even wait to let Axel answer before snatching it from his hands and quickly typing something it. “What are you,” Axel began, before his own phone was shoved into his face.

“I have tons of fans,” Roxas said, as Axel tried to adjust his eyes to what his screen was showing. “But none of them give a shit about  _me_. They’re creepy and obsessive and many of them keep sending me creepy sexual offers and I’m not even allowed to be offended or defend myself because that doesn’t fit my fucking image. 

Axel chose not to make a comment on Roxas cursing again, as he began to scroll through some of the tweets that were sent to Roxas in the past few days. Man. Some of that stuff was nasty. He might have been legally old enough to see and understand what these tweets meant, but he certainly didn't feel mentally old enough. Ick. 

“They like  _Roxas_ , the singer, who is this idealized perfect boyfriend,” Roxas spat, hands clenched into fists. “They like the idea that they have a chance with me, like I _don’t_ have someone I could be dating. 

Axel blinked. “Are you dating-“ he started and Roxas threw him a hate filled look. “Oh, okay, I guess that's part of the problem."

“As if the Organization would  _allow_  for that,” Roxas said with a snarl. “I’ve … I’ve…” he paused and then laughed a little.  Axel’s eyebrows would have raised higher if at all possible. “I haven’t been allowed to rant or shout about this stuff in so long.  _Man_ , it feels fucking  _awesome_.

Axel frowned. “But like… why me?” he finally said. Roxas turned to him. “Like, no offense, and I’m sure your situation is terrible, but why tell me?” 

Roxas rolled his eyes and leaned close to Axel. Axel, already leaning back on his hands, had nowhere to go. “Because you don’t give a shit about my music,” he said with a grin. It teetered on the edge of slightly crazed. 

“I might not give a shit about you,” Axel admitted. "I don’t know your favorite color or favorite song or …” he trailed off as Roxas laughed again.

“But that’s why I like talking to you," Roxas said, with a shrug. "Cause you don't know."

They stared at each other, long and hard. Axel was pretty sure he was breathing, and he would check if Roxas would learn to blink once in this century.

“Axel!”

Axel jumped a little and Roxas moved back, as Kairi ran up to them. She raised an eyebrow and Axel didn’t even have the energy to shrug. “Sora’s hungry. Wanna pack up and get ice cream?” 

“You kids and your damn sea salt ice cream,” Axel grumbled. He would’ve been climbing to his feet and walking away if he could get his legs to work properly. But he couldn't get Roxas's expression out of his mind.  

Roxas tilted his head, the very picture of innocence. Axel rolled his eyes. 

“Sea salt ice cream?” Roxas echoed, sounding curious. “What’s that?”

\--

“Of all the things I regret in these past few days,” Axel said, as he carried a moaning Roxas on his back. “I think introducing you to sea-salt ice cream tops that list.

Roxas let out another groan and didn't say anything, only tightened his arms around Axel's neck.

Kairi didn't even made the effort to shake her head. "I thought you had a rigorous fitness program," she said with a sigh. “I’m a failure to all your fans that like to watch you dance. Axel, what have I done?”

"I do!" Roxas said. Or at least, he tried to say. It came out more like "Akmlasnkdksdahbdueo.”

Axel rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on Roxas. "If you puke," he said lightly, "I will drop you on a bench and not even feel the slightest bad. 

Roxas grumbled again but went quiet. And the rest of the walk home went that way. Riku and Sora had left them at the ice cream parlor, saying they had "things" to "catch up on" and they had to run. Yeah, sure,  _catch up on_. Axel snorted. They couldn't be more obvious if they tried.

But Kairi was quiet and pensive, and Axel had rarely seen his sister like that. He'd ask what was on her mind, curious to know what was up, but it was Kairi. She wasn't going to say anything unless she wanted to.

So he was content to wait. Besides, keeping Roxas upright and not jostling him around too much were currently taking up most of Axel's attention anyway.

"Hey, Axel?" He hummed and Kairi continued. "What's up with you two?"

He would've turned and raised an eyebrow, but he could just tell if he did, Roxas would grumble again. "Nothing." Even if he wasn't looking at his sister, he could feel her glare.

"Oh alright. Roxas basically rambled to me a bunch of things that he probably shouldn’t have.”

"Like what?" She asked.

He snorted. "Sworn to secrecy." He heard her huff and relented. "Just like, he doesn't get to do this stuff with other people his age."

"Oh," she said and went quiet again.

They approached their house and Axel had to awkwardly hand off his keys to her to open to door, unable to move enough to actually open it with Roxas in tow. She paused before unlocking the door and turned to look at him, which might have caused him to let out a whine because while Roxas wasn't heavy but he certainly wasn't  _light as a feather_. 

"Are you guys going to stay friends?"

"Stay friends?" Axel echoed, before letting out a snort and gestured his head towards the door, in a way he hoped said ‘If you do not open this door right now, I will throw this blond pop star through it and then we'll have to deal with mom and dad being disappointed in us and we wouldn’t want  _that_ , would we?’ "I mean, it's not really up to me. I'm not the famous one.”

“Yeah but like…” She fidgeted, but thankfully opened the door, finally. He all but dumped Roxas onto the couch, to let him lay there and moan and hold his stomach like he regretting eating all those ice creams 

Thirty-seven to be exact.

Axel had counted in horror.

Axel headed to the kitchen, needing something on this side of healthy after watching Roxas become a human black hole and Kairi followed, crossing her arms. “Kairi,” Axel said, leaning against the counter. “He’s a nice kid. And I know this must kill you but like, he doesn’t live in the same world as us. Eventually, his manager is going to find him, and he’s going to go back touring.” She tried to interrupt but he kept going. “And maybe he’ll stay in contact. Maybe this won’t even be a blip on his radar. Just… take the memories and move on.” 

“But if he’s talking to you,” she cut in with a protest, “and telling you things that he hasn’t said to anyone else, why wouldn’t he want to?”

Axel shrugged. “Ask him, when he finally moves from his ice cream induced coma."

She gave him a long, long look before letting out a huff and throwing her hands in the air, heading upstairs. He shrugged and grabbed two water bottles, heading back towards the living room.

Roxas was half propped up on the couch, trying to give him a hard stare but was instead just slumped over pathetically. “I told you not to eat all of them,” Axel said, offering him a water bottle.

“Sora said I couldn’t,” Roxas mumbled. “I showed him. 

Axel snorted. “You’re not going to be showing anyone if you throw them all up.” Roxas went quiet for so long that Axel actually grew tense. “You are not throwing up here. Nope. Nu-uh.”

“Shut up, Axel,” Roxas hissed, although it was much tamer than it could’ve been, considering he let out a groan in the middle. He clutched his stomach. “I just… About what you were talking about?”

Axel really didn’t want to have this conversation. He didn’t know if it was because Roxas had some sea salt ice cream on his cheek and he half wanted to wipe it away and the idea of doing something so stupidly _domestic_ kind of terrified him, or that even in the small amount of time, he’d gotten used to the twerp. But at this moment, as Roxas groaned and looked near death on his couch on account of gorging on sea salt ice cream, Axel wasn’t going to discuss what happened next.

“You probably should crash down here tonight,” he said, standing up. He pointedly ignored the way Roxas’s stare grew cold and at the same time, kind of sad. “Don’t want you giving up trying to walk up the stairs and just sleeping on them.”

With that, he headed upstairs.

\--

Even then, he couldn’t sleep. Axel lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and half cursing his younger self for decorating it with glow-in-the-dark flames because now the room could never actually get dark.

Not that he would've been able to sleep. That look Roxas had given him kept flittering through his mind and reappeared whenever he closed his eyes.

Axel grumbled to himself before finally climbing out of bed. Maybe a drink of water or something would help. Maybe pacing the house would help.

Maybe thirty-seven sea salt ice creams would help. (Not.)

Whatever he had planned to do vanished from his mind as he opened his room door to see Roxas standing outside, hand raised to knock. Axel yawned, rubbing at his eyes. “What are you-?”

But that was all he could get out before Roxas glanced up to him, his blue eyes flashing something dangerous. Axel stumbled backwards, confused, before registering that Roxas had pushed him. Axel fumbled, reaching to turn on his lamp but he couldn’t even grab that before he felt another shove and landed on his bed, staring up at Roxas who was climbing on the bed as well, straddling him.

Axel sucked in a breath. Roxas leaned over him, moving so their faces were inches apart. 

“I’ve spent my entire life being told what to do,” he said softly, less menacing than Axel would’ve thought given the situation. “When to exercise, who to be seen when, what to eat, what I act be like. And for once, I have the chance to be myself around someone and they’re as  _obnoxious_  as you.”

“Thanks… I think?” Axel said, and Roxas let out a growl, leaning back on his heels. 

“Dealing with you and your bullshit for the past day or so has been aggravating but I love it,” Roxas said. “And I don’t know it’s only because I can finally be myself around you or if you’re…”

Roxas cut off and chewed on his lip. Axel finally caught a glimpse of the guy from stage from so long ago. Or had it really only been a day or so?

But for all his posturing, Roxas could get nervous and could be intimidated, and maybe that and what he was saying drove Axel to sit up and reach for Roxas’s face.

Roxas froze. Axel tilted his head. 

“Are you’re saying you like being around me because you realize that you're a jerk on the inside and now you have someone you can share your shitty self with?” Axel said, smirking a bit.

There was a pause. Then Roxas let out something very close to a snarl.

“You’re an asshole,” Roxas hissed. He slapped Axel’s hand aside and grabbed at Axel’s shirt, tugging him up for a kiss. 

Axel froze and Roxas pulled back almost instantly, all the rage he’d been exhibiting somehow wiped away. He leaned away and moved to the edge of the bed and Axel blinked, sitting up.

“Was that…?” Axel started, reaching a hand up to his face.

“It’s just,” Roxas started, looking almost embarrassed. That was a new look on him. Axel kinda liked it. “You’re the first person to treat me like a _person_. Not a celebrity or someone who can make money for them, or someone who can advance their career. And yeah, maybe you’re an asshole, but you actually give a shit about me, and not just what I can do for you.”

And Axel knew he could say something sappy, could reach forward and grab Roxas’s hand. And maybe it would all end in hearts and rainbows. But it was Axel. That just wasn’t how he lived life.

“Was that,” Axel repeated, deciding that being a sap wasn't for him. "Your first kiss? 

Roxas blinked. And then that rage that Axel was slowly beginning to get used to flashed in Roxas’s eyes and he snarled, tackling Axel back onto the bed. 

\-- 

Axel woke up the next morning in a similar position as he’d awoken the day before. But instead of freaking out about seeing a random arm beside him, he just grinned and tussled Roxas’s hair. Roxas let out a groan and nudged into Axel’s side.

“You never did answer my question,” he said, running his hands through Roxas's hair. Without all that product that he must’ve been wearing on the stage, any resemblance of spiky was no longer there. “Was that your first kiss?”

Roxas grumbled something softly, before saying. “No. And I’m not telling you who it was, either.”

Axel hummed softly. “Was is Xion?” Roxas went still and Axel rolled his eyes. “You talked about how you never got the chance to spend with others your age but her name popped up a bit. I connected the dots.”

“Yeah, well, fuck you,” Roxas mumbled, relaxing against Axel’s side. “Lucky guess.” 

Axel leaned down and kissed Roxas’s forehead, grinning when he felt Roxas practically melt into it.

And of course that would be when things went wrong. 

There was a gentle knock on his door. Axel pulled away from Roxas who just snuggled into the covers and opened it, to see a very flustered Kairi. Axel grinned lazily and leaned against the doorframe. “Now sis…”

His tone dropped when he realized that she hadn’t even registered him or what could only be the numerous hickeys around his neck. 

“I…” she gulped. “There are these men at the door in black suits and they’re  _not_  the police but they said they know Roxas is here, and if we don’t produce him in twenty minutes, they will be  _calling_  the police.”

Axel blinked a few times. Kairi looked near tears, which was a damn feat in itself, and well, Roxas was here, but they weren’t just going to hand him over like-

“Did one of them have blue hair and a scar across his face?” Roxas asked. Axel turned to see Roxas clambering out of bed, wrapping the bedding around his waist. Kairi looked up to Axel and raised an eyebrow. “And did one have a long ponytail and a scar over one of his eyes?” Kairi nodded and Roxas cursed under his breath.

“The Organization?” Axel asked, crossing his arms.

Roxas chewed on his lip. “My manager and one of my bodyguards.” He grimaced. “Let me talk to them, I’ll be right out.”

Kairi nodded. Axel had half a mind to tell her not to go back down there or to just wait it out upstairs (like he was planning to do), but she took a deep breath and headed back downstairs, looking regal as hell in her pjs. 

Axel turned to Roxas’s, whose calm expression was slowly slipping into one filled with fear. “How did they find me?” Roxas asked, running a hand through his hair. He let out a long exhale before slamming a hand into the wall, and even Axel jumped a bit. “Fuck!”

“Hey, try not destroying my home, okay?” Axel said, grabbing at Roxas’s arms. For such a tiny guy, he was pretty damn strong. “Look, they probably found some security footage or something from you sneaking away at the concert. Just, I don’t know. Put on some pants and tell them how you want to live your life, okay?”

Instead of answering, Roxas tugged Axel down for a kiss. This one felt different than the ones from the night before, and not just in the intensity. The others had felt like there was potential or a promise of something to come. 

This one just felt like goodbye.

“Okay,” Roxas said, clearing his throat and taking a step back. “Okay. Lemme just get dressed and I’ll be down really soon. Don’t… let them frighten you, okay?”

Axel nodded and would’ve offered to stay upstairs, but he heard noises from below and was a little more concerned for his sister’s safety instead of Roxas’s oncoming freak out.

He quickly moved down the stairs, half wishing he was wearing real pants, as he hear Kairi exclaim, “You can’t just-!”

“On the contrary, kidnapping is a crime, little lady,” the guy with the ponytail and the scar said with a grin. “In fact, it is you who cannot.”

“We would be within our rights to press charges,” the blue haired one said, and Kairi let out a gasp. Axel scowled. “Kidnapping and holding him? I suppose you should be thankful you didn’t think to demand a ransom.”

“He snuck into our car,” Axel shot back, ignoring the panicked looks Kairi threw him. “We no more kidnapped him then we gave you permission to enter our house.”

The blue-haired one stepped forward, toe to toe with Axel (well, really expensive boot to bare feet, but hey, Axel had just woken up), and let out a polite, if rude, laugh. “Where is Roxas then?”

“I’m here, Saïx, calm down,” Roxas said, rushing down the stairs. “Stop tormenting the general public.”

Saïx stepped away from Axel, only after giving him a once over and an eye roll. “We wouldn’t have to even deal with them if you hadn’t disappeared,” Saïx said.

Roxas gave a mild shrug. “Sorry. And sorry Xigbar, I know you hate being woken up so early.”

“Little man,” Xigbar said, staring at the ceiling. “You’re in a world of trouble, don’t act like you can put on a cute face and walk out of this.”

Roxas gave a wince, and something in Axel’s stomach dropped. “Right, you have a good point.” He turned, and waved at Kairi and Axel and his face was the most mild manner mask one could ever see on the pop star. “Thanks for letting me stay. Bye!”

He moved to leave and Axel reached out, grabbing Roxas's shoulder. “That’s it?” he said, annoyed how irritated he felt. But after spending all day listening to Roxas bitch about it these very same people... “What about all that talk about wanting to live your own life? You’re just going to let them control you again?”

Roxas didn’t respond. Saïx gave Axel a hard look. “Roxas, what is he talking about?”

After a moment, Roxas shrugged Axel’s hand off his shoulder. “I have no idea,” Roxas said. 

Without even turning back, Roxas walked out of the house. 

“Roxas!” Axel yelled, and gritted his teeth when the other man, Xigbar, stepped in his path.

“Yeah, no. You can calm your jets and instead focus your energy on this.”

Kairi plucked the papers out of his hand, and skimmed them quickly. “Nondisclosure agreements?” She said, turning to hand one to Axel. But his hands were balled up in fists and he was too busy glaring at the spot Roxas had been so she just looked up to Xigbar. 

Xigbar crossed his arms. “Yep. Need to make sure you agree not to spill anything Roxas may have say to the press. About, well, any part of his contract.” Xigbar grinned and Axel resisted the urge to punch him in the face.

That, and Xigbar did look mighty strong. As did the other set of men who were standing outside their house near a black van that Roaxs disappeared into. 

“But you…” Kairi looked between Xigbar and Axel, and even turned to Saïx. “Can you do this?”

“Can,” Saïx said with a small shrug. “And will. The sooner you sign these forms, the sooner we will be out of your hair.” He smiled, slick like oil. “Who knows? Maybe even some concert tickets will be in your future?”

“Axel!” Kairi cried, tugging at his arm. “We can’t just…?”

But Axel had been staring at the window in the van, where Roxas was very pointedly looking in the other direction. 

Instead, he let out a huff and grabbed a pen off the table, signing the document and shoving it at Xigbar. “Here,” he said. “I don’t care.”

It was probably bad form to leave Kairi downstairs with those two by herself, but then again, Axel wasn’t thinking straight as he stormed upstairs.

Kairi made sure to comment on that when she came upstairs a few minutes later. But even she wasn’t as angry at him as he would’ve thought. “Axel,” she said, and it was too soft and too sad and he still had the urge to punch something. Anything. “What happened last night? I thought you things were good?”

He rubbed at his neck, and tried to ignore that he was rubbing the collar of hickeys that Roxas had sucked in only hours ago. “I thought we were too,” he said back. “I guess I was wrong.”

"But..." She started and he waved a hand. 

Between the fact that he had barely slept last night to what had just happened, Axel was exhausted. And a little mad at himself for not trying harder. 

He should've been angry at Roxas, at the way he acted like he'd barely known them, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to feel so.

\--

And just like that, life went on. Axel was a little disappointed nothing drastic happened, like Roxas came back, trying to break away from the Organization, or more creepy men with black coats showed up at their door. 

Nope. Just a sad and disappointed Kairi, Sora, and Riku. Axel would include himself in that group but he was still angry with himself as to how he just let them take Roxas without more of a fight, so he threw himself back into studying. The summer holidays were almost over, classes were coming back with a vengeance, and their parents showed back up from... wherever they had been. 

"Where were they again?" Kairi asked, as their mom walked past them with what looked like red paint splattered across her coat. 

Then again, knowing their parents, it wasn't paint at all.

Axel shrugged. "Remember they taught us not to question their work," he said.

Kairi shivered.

A few weeks later, Roxas popped up in the news, apparently giving an end-of-the-summer concert in one of Destiny Islands very few concert arenas. People were flipping out because he never came here (their concert arena was too small for all the people who wanted to see him), and the fight for tickets began immediately.

Kairi half looked like she wanted to say something, like 'Let's storm the concert and demand they let us see him,' but even she got disheartened seeing Axel's lack of reaction towards it. 

In all honesty, he was just trying to push the entire thing out of his mind. But with Roxas's songs now blasting on local radio and everyone talking about the singer, it was a lot harder to do than he thought. 

A day or two before classes started again, Axel grabbed the mail, considering Kairi was inside talking with Sora. He skimmed through the bills and junk mail, before one letter jumped out at him, addressed to both him and Kairi. 

As he walked in the house, he opened it, and stared at it for a long time. Long enough for Kairi to get up from where she was on the couch and approach him.

There were four VIP tickets for the concert tomorrow, with one of them tagged for Axel specifically as a backstage pass.

Axel went to rip them in half when Kairi plucked the envelope containing the tickets out of his hands. 

"We should go," she said, after skimming the contents. Axel didn't reply. "I mean, maybe he wants to apologize?"

Even Sora had gotten up to see what they were talking about and when he saw the tickets, frowned. Kairi had told him and Riku the whole story about what had happened that day, and Sora may have been fun loving, even he was still smarted by what happened. 

"It's worth a shot?" Sora offered. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

 Axel didn't bother saying that the worst that could happen had already happened, and instead said, "Why don't one of you take it?" he asked, shrugging in a manner he hoped portrayed nonchalance. "See what he wants. 

Kairi give him the 'I know we're related but how are you possibly so dumb' look that he so often received from her. "It's addressed to you."

"We signed those nondisclosure agreements," Axel shot back, but even he could feel his resolve slipping.

Kairi nodded and spoke slowly, like she was talking to a child. "Yes, but those were about talking to the media or sharing information on social media. Didn't you read them?"

Well, no he hadn't. He was too busy staring down that blue haired asshole.

He grumbled and snatched his ticket out of her hand. "Fine," he said, feeling whatever wall he had started to build in respond to this event crumble. " _Fine_ , I'll go talk to him. Even though I know this is just a ploy so you can get to see your pretty boy at your concert."

There was a soft tug on his sleeve and he glanced down to see Kairi giving him a look. "You are allowed to be upset," she said quietly. "If you really don't want to see him again, it's fine."

“But you do want to," Sora cut in. They both looked at him and he shrugged. "See him again, that is. Don't you?"

Axel grumbled and refused to answer, instead crossing his arms. But he knew that he'd lost when both Sora and Kairi exchanged glances and grinned. 

\--

Axel didn't go as far as to let Kairi shove him backstage, but he kind of wish he had snuck her backstage with him. He wasn't nervous, per say, but he thought that in some occasions, a woman's touch might be better at this.

Like, say, charming the bodyguard who had forced his way into ones house.

Oh joy.

Xigbar, or whatever his name was, smirked when Axel approached, and Axel tried his damnest not to look like he was intimidated. 

And then he realized that Xigbar was surrounded by two other massive guys, one with braids and one who literally looked like a mountain, and yeah okay, maybe Axel's eyes widened a bit, but could you blame a guy?

"You again!" Xigbar exclaimed, like the last time he saw Axel wasn't when he'd forced his way into Axel's house. Joy. "Little man's inside."

He was surprisingly nice, which immediately put Axel on edge. It also might have been because the other two guys with him immediately flexed their muscles. 

Axel chose not to respond and simply slid past the three of them, knocking on the door.

"Roxas?" he said. "You here?"

It wasn't like he could be anywhere else, considering how many of his bodyguards were placed at the door, but Axel still thought it polite to knock and check. 

Which was miles more than what Roxas had done, but hey.

Before he could simply turn around and head back to meet up with Kairi and the others, the door opened to reveal a smiling Roxas, who grinned up to him. 

Axel pushed down the uncomfortable feeling, before realizing that he wasn't uncomfortable seeing Roxas, but seeing Roxas like this. He hadn't realized how little personality the public persona exuded until he actually had gotten a chance to see what Roxas's real face was like.

"Hey! Yeah, come on in," Roxas said, waving off Xigbar and the other two. "Xigbar, Xaldin, Lexaeus, you guys good here? 

Xigbar raised an eyebrow and the other two exchanged looks. "You do realize we're not leaving, right?" Xigbar asked.

Roxas let out a laugh. Axel suppressed a shutter. "Yeah, I know I know. I'll be out in a bit okay? 

And with that, Roxas ushered Axel into the dressing room and shut the door. 

A silence fell upon the room, one that Axel wasn’t quick to end, what with Roxas keeping that fake smile on his face until Axel felt like he could punch a wall.

Quietly, though. He knew exactly what those three were doing out of the door and he didn't feel like being thrown out of the concert. 

"What do you want?" Axel asked. It might have come out much angrier than he wanted to, but it was either that or just start full-blown shouting. "You think you can just--"

And then the pop star mask came off and Roxas slumped his shoulders and even Axel felt a little bad. The kid looked exhausted. And sad.

"Does 'I'm sorry' even begin to cover it?" Roxas said, more to himself than to Axel. Axel just crossed his arms, not willing to show the confusion that was racing through his mind. "Cause I am. I really, really am."

"What  _was_  that?” Axel finally asked, staying where he was across the room. Sad Roxas or not, he wasn’t up to being played again.

“I told you about them,” Roxas started but Axel shook his head.

“No,” Axel said. “You said that they had strict regiments as to what you can do and who you can see. That didn’t mean you had to act like you didn’t know us.”

“Of course I did!” Roxas snapped, and Axel took an involuntary step back. Roxas closed his eyes and took a long breath, trying to get his emotions under control. After a moment, he shook his head. “I had to. I told you what happened to Xion, right? If they thought that their number one money maker even had the slightest chance of not being as marketable anymore…” He rubbed at his eyes. 

Axel just waited him out.

After another long pause, Roxas let out a sigh. “I really like you, okay?” He admitted, softly. “And I don’t want to look up and you’ve suddenly disappeared, or, hell, your sister and her friends got into conspicuous incidents and so you would become persuaded to leave me alone. I thought it out and I’d rather you be okay somewhere else, then to try to stick with me and deal with all this bullshit. 

Roxas stuffed his hands in his pockets (as tiny as they were. Pop star problems, apparently), and Axel just gave him a long look.

“So it’s bad when other people want to control your life,” Axel said slowly, “but it’s fine when you want to control mine?” Roxas’s face screwed up in confusion and Axel continued. “In case you missed it, I like you too, you asshole. But you don’t get to make that decision for me.”

“I’m keeping you safe!” Roxas hissed, moving closer to Axel. “I’m marketable as the idolized boyfriend and—“

He didn’t finish as Axel approached him, staring him down.

Axel had known it was a mistake to have come. Before he was indifferent. Now he was angry.

“If you’re scared,” Axel said. “That’s fine. Just admit it.”

“I’m not!” Roxas shot back, standing tall. “It’s just…"

There was a knock on the door and Axel let out a sound of disgust, uncrossing his arms. “I’m sorry too,” he said, as he approached the door. “I honestly thought you were more interested in being happy instead of being profitable.”

He didn’t wait to hear what Roxas had to say and opened the door. If Xigbar or the other bodyguards said something to him, he didn’t hear it. 

\--

Kairi took one look at Axel and her frown deepened with concern. “We could leave?”

Axel shook his head. “You guys like his music,” he said taking a seat at one of the small tables. VIP seating did have its perks, besides being really,  _really_  close to the stage. “I’ll live.”

He may have to go home and dramatically burn anything that Roxas had touched in a ceremonial manner, but they weren’t going to talk about that.

Kairi frowned even more, and turned to Sora and Riku. They looked half ready to move to the side and talk when the lights dimmed and the screaming took over the arena. Axel sighed.

“I hope everyone is having a good time!” Roxas’s voice seemed to come from all the directions and the screaming only got louder. Roxas let out a laugh, and then the spotlights focused on the stage. “Well then, let’s get this party started!”

The music started blasting and the arena seemed to pulsate with energy and life and excitement. But something about watching Roxas in what Axel would’ve normally considered his element just felt so  _wrong_  and uncomfortable.

As the first song came to a close, Axel stood up from the table. “I’m going to grab a drink,” he said to Kairi, who nodded.

He had almost left the stage area when suddenly, “Wait!” Axel paused, and, half out of curiosity, turned back to see Roxas staring at him from the stage. The blond winced. “Just… wait.”

Axel turned fully and waited and Roxas turned back to the majority of the audience. He looked vaguely nervous, Axel noted.

“I know what song you guys all want to hear,” he said, almost nervously. And for some reason, that drew Axel back to the table. Pop Star Roxas didn’t _do_ nervous. Flustered, and happy, yes, but he was practically the epitome of confidence. “And I am going to sing it. But I just…” Roxas took a deep breath. “I want to dedicate it to …” He stopped again, clenched his fist. “I want to dedicate it to a certain someone who put up with me recently when things were rough. And who could see past all the bullshit I was telling them.”

Kairi raised a hand to her mouth and Axel’s face screwed up in confusion when it finally hit him: Roxas never cursed. Not the public persona of Roxas anyway. 

Axel grinned. 

“So… Yeah. I think that’s it. So, let’s get started!” Roxas said, and the music cued up, and lo, did Axel know this song. It had been playing non-stop on the radios since Roxas announced he was preforming in Destiny Islands.

Axel let out a groan and covered his face with his hands. If he was afraid to be cheesy, that was nothing on dedicating _Beautiful Soul_ to someone and singing it.

But apparently Roxas wasn’t done there. As he ramped up to the chorus, he turned away from the stage and made a hand gestured towards the guitarist. Axel and company were close enough to the stage to see the guitarist give Roxas a weird look, but Roxas simply turned and _started walking_ _towards the VIP area._  

A couple of people around them started to shriek. Axel exchanged looks with Kairi, who was grinning and gave an awkward shrug. 

“ _I don’t want another pretty face_ ,” Roxas sang slowly, stepping past the barriers down into the section. “ _I don’t want just anyone to hold_ …”

Even though Roxas was  _right there_ , and his voice was coming in ten times as loud from the speakers, it was almost hard to hear him, due to the intensity of the fans' screams.

From the corner of his eye, Axel could see security working twice as hard as fans attempted to rush the VIP section, but for now, things held clear. 

Roxas approached, giving Axel a long, hard stare. “ _I don’t want my love to go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul._ ”

He continued staring at Axel, before reaching down and grabbing his hands, and Axel could feel the eyes of everyone in the arena staring at them. Which was probably made helpful by the huge screens playing a video recording of what was happening. 

“ _You’re the one I want to chase_ ,” Roxas continued. “ _You’re the one I want to hold. I won’t let another minute go to waste. I want you and your beautiful soul_.”

Axel grinned, and opened his mouth to say something, but Roxas held up a finger and pressed down on his mic. After half a second, pre-recording wailing of Roxas singing “Beautiful Soul” filled the arena.

“You’re right,” Roxas breathed out. “I just… They can’t do much if I’m this over the top about it, right? At least, I hope not. Please don’t just leave because this will seem like some horrible marketing scheme and I want to be above that because I  _really_  like you Axel, and–”

Axel didn’t let him finish before tugging Roxas forward for a kiss. He faintly felt Roxas grapple at his back before grabbing on tightly. And then he heard the roar. At first he thought maybe it was Kairi yelling in his ear, but he pulled away slightly and there were people…  _cheering_? What kind of crazy fans were these? 

Roxas leaned back and grinned, before tugging Axel down for another kiss, much to the delight of the fans. “Wait for me?” he said, as he pulled away again. “I have a show to perform, but after, I should be free.”

Axel rolled his eyes but nodded, shoving Roxas towards the stage. “Don’t worry,” he said, as Roxas ran back up the steps to the main stage.

He’d definitely stay.

\--

“I don’t know why your managers were so worried about you having a significant other,” Kairi said, one day almost a half year later. “Your popularity has spiked since that little stunt you pulled.” 

“Pfft,” Hayner chimed in. “I still thought it was cheesy as hell.”

“Oh shut up Hayner,” Sora added, throwing a pillow at him. “You just wish someone sang ‘Beautiful Soul’ to you. 

They were all relaxing at Axel and Kairi’s house, with Sora and Riku chilling on one couch, Hayner sitting next to Kairi and Olette on the other couch, Pence laying on the floor, and Roxas leaning against Axel, mindlessly eating sea salt ice cream.

Without even thinking, Axel took away the third bar that Roxas had been reaching for, much to the blonde’s disappointment.

“I thought you loved me,” Roxas grumbled, halfheartedly reaching for the ice cream. 

“I do,” Axel said fondly. “But you’re going to regret it when you have to go to practice later and start vomiting ice cream.”

Roxas grumbled and nudged his head against Axel. “Fine. Also, Sora?” Roxas called, and Sora leaned off of Riku, giving him a look. “Hayner has had someone sing that to him.”

That got everyone’s attention. “Wait,” Riku said, sitting up. “Who?”

Roxas shrugged and continued head butting Axel. “Kairi. She was the one who gave me the idea for it in the first place.”

Everyone turned to face the two. Hayner froze. Kairi went as red as her hair.

Axel felt something snap in his mind and he moved to stand and, he didn’t even know, defend his sister’s honor or something, but a hand held him down.

“Axel,” Roxas said, grinning up to the redhead. “Don’t be an idiot to your sister’s boyfriend. Come over here and kiss me.”

And when it was facing the reality that his sister was dating  _Hayner_  of all people, Axel was only too happy to oblige. 

**Author's Note:**

> Well that was ridiculous.
> 
> Obviously Jesse McCartney is a real human being and he didn't steal his songs from an unknown pop singer. And, like Roxas, Jesse writes most of his music. Props to him.
> 
> If you either don't know who Jesse McCartney is OR have literally heard nothing from him except “Beautiful Soul”, check out his version of 'Bleeding Love," especially since he wrote it. Or "Just So You Know." I like that one too.
> 
> Axel’s and Kairi’s family situation has been lovingly borrowed from Dualism’s “Surgeon General's Warning” which… is no longer online. :( But all you need to know is Axel and Kairi were related and they had an interesting family dynamic with their parents.
> 
> (And, Hayner/Kairi is the ultimate OTP.)
> 
> Thanks for reading, and you can find me on [tumblr](http://legendaryguardian.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
